Traffic disruption as rail bridge near Leeds to close

A RAILWAY bridge near Leeds is set to be closed to traffic for more than two months while a £2.35m refurbishment scheme is carried out.

Fall Lane bridge in East Ardsley will be closed to traffic between Saturday October 8 and Monday December 19.

It will strengthened, painted and waterproofed as part of a the joint Network Rail and Leeds City Council project.

Once complete, the current three tonne weight restriction will be lifted and replaced with a 7.5 tonne environmental weight limit order which will allow it to be used by buses and lorries.

A public information event will be held from 2.30pm to 6.30pm this Wednesday (September 21) in the main hall at East Ardsley Primary School when members of the project team will be on hand to answer residents’ questions.

Neil Henry, area director for Network Rail, said: “The bridge at Fall Lane will not only help improve the reliability of the railway but will also have a huge positive impact on the village of East Ardsley.

“We aim to be considerate neighbours to those living near the bridge while the work takes place and our project team are looking forward to meeting residents at the public information day.”

Coun Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive member for regeneration, transport and planning, said: “We are very pleased to see this work now being carried which will restore Fall Lane Bridge for use by buses and delivery vehicles for local businesses.

“We would encourage as many people as possible to attend the public information event to find out all the details and we would ask for patience and understanding while the work is being undertaken.”

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